The AU must resume its leadership role; taking a back seat to SADC is a recipe for inaction

The fight between the Congolese government and the political opposition over who is right and wrong continues to drive the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) electoral crisis, now entering its third year. This has been an important aspect of the battle to win the support of international, regional and continental forces – and has contributed to drawing the crisis out.

In August 2017 the Peace and Security Council (PSC) will again focus on addressing the scourge of terrorism in Africa. It will also look into the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. This month the PSC is chaired by Rachid Benlounes, Algeria’s ambassador to Ethiopia and its permanent representative to the AU.

South Africa should take the lead, and this means going beyond just supporting electoral processes.

BY KGALALELO NGANJE

It’s a busy time for elections in Africa, with countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe and Kenya gearing up for the polls. And as elections increasingly become the legitimate way to acquire political power on the continent, winning votes has become a matter of life and death for the political elite in many countries.

Ignoring some countries’ problems will result in humanitarian tragedies that affect entire regions of Africa.

While the situations in South Sudan, Somalia and the Lake Chad Basin dominate the agenda of the African Union (AU), other crises seem to have been forgotten by the AU. In fact, no one seems willing to label them as such.

The African Union and its partners are a vital part in combating the continent’s crises.

Now more than ever, Africa needs the help of the African Union (AU) and its partners in tackling security threats and other ongoing crises – particularly in the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa.

It’s these and other issues that are going to keep Africa’s leaders busy at the 29th AU summit in Addis Ababa from 27 June to 4 July, and more specifically the AU Assembly meeting of heads of state on 3 and 4 July.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – In 2013, African Union (AU) leaders committed to a future where the continent is free from the scourge of conflict; pledging to ‘end all wars in Africa by 2020.’

But the high ideals of Vision 2020 – also referred to as ‘Silencing the Guns’ – can only become a reality if pragmatic steps are taken to curb the misuse and uncontrolled spread of arms. One such measure is the enforcement of United Nations (UN)-imposed arms embargoes.

The major outbreak of violence in the South Sudanese capital of Juba this past week caused hundred of deaths. The violence, which has also displaced 30 000 people, continues despite a joint call by President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar to stop the clashes. This raises questions about their control over their respective factions.

In the first six months of 2016 the Peace and Security Council (PSC) had a lot on its plate. A brief overview of the crises and PSC decisions in this period reveals the complexity of the council’s work.

For 30 years, Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have been spreading appalling terror in northern Uganda, eastern Central African Republic (CAR), western South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

By modest estimates, the LRA has killed 100 000 people, displaced about two million, and raped, mutilated or abducted countless others. This includes many children, who have been forced to become soldiers or sex slaves for LRA fighters.

According to the country’s constitution, President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) should step down when his second and last term expires at the end of 2016. However, a date for the presidential elections, which the constitution says have to be held before the end of 2016, is yet to be set.

In mid January, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that it would need 18 months to update the voters’ roll. This was followed by an announcement from the minister of interior that a new electoral law, and several others related to the elections, would first have to be tabled during Parliament’s next session, starting in March.

The wives of soldiers of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC, Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) may not be very visible, but they are an integral part of the military. They live with soldiers, and often their children, in and around military camps and deployment sites – including in the most insecure zones.